So what made me decide to learn how to reload well quite frankly I had started stocking up on factory loaded ammunition and then started thinking that I could save myself a bit of money by reloading myself. What I did was I started looking through some catalogs and found a what was described as a kit for the novice or beginner. That was me so I contacted the company who was "Lee Precision Inc" and asked who I could speak to about doing a product review. The receptionist put me in touch with Mr. Lee himself.
I told him why I was calling, that I wanted to know if he would be interested in letting me do a product review on "The Classic Lee Loader" and I would post my finding on my site. Mr. Lee graciously said sure and the he asked me what calibers I was interested in. I explained to him the only rifle I have right now was a 30-30. He took my name and address and said he would send it right out to me.
This is what I received in the mail a few days later. A Classic Lee Loader for a 30-30 caliber and he also sent along a Modern Reloading book.
My next step I had previously mentioned was to get reloading components. Not knowing what I really needed I started at cabela's and talked to someone there. The problem was they couln't set me up with powder and primers but they had the bullets. He stated that they haven't been able to keep reloading supplies in the store since the presidential election.
So I left and contacted a gun shop that I frequent from time to time and he was unable to help me out because he is having trouble keeping it in the store and was waiting for a order to come. At this point I am like thinking to myself (I picked a heck of a time to learn how to reload) but I was determined. My wife Heidi and I traveled almost a hour to go to this big gun store called "Hoffman's Gun Center". There I spoke to a gentleman who again said the same thing that I have been hearing since I started my search.
I did decided to get what I could rather than wait and get it all in the same place. So we talked and I told him my plans. He said he reloads quite a bit and quite a few different calibers so he was a lot of help.
Bear in mind this is only a start and I don't know much yet about what I'm doing but I would rather start off small just in case I don't like reloading. This is what I got so far.I got a pound of powder, obviously that is the smallest amount I could get. It is "Hodgdon Varget" powder.
The bullets are from "Speer" and they are 30 cal 150 grain .308" round sp. The reason for the round sp is because these bullets are going into a lever action so I need the round soft point so they don't go off accidentally in the loading tube.
The next three components are from "RCBS" . A powder funnel (self explanatory) and a Case Neck Brush for cleaning inside the casings. Also a Primer Pocket Brush for cleaning the hole before installing a new primer.
As you can see I still have a ways to go before I try any reloading but I am having a good time researching and learning another way to expand my passion/obsession of hunting whitetails. Stay tuned for future posts.
20 comments:
I have a classic loader for each of my survival rifles. I started out with a classic Lee loader in rifle, shotgun and pistol when I was in highshool and used to reload at my desk after homework was finished. I later got all the fancy stuff but still use the Lee Classics at the bench working up loads. I would suggest you try them out and you will find them an important part of your system like I have.
With the price of ammo going up I think reloading is the way to go these days!
Don't forget the case lube! The last thing you want to do is get a case stuck in the die.
Practice scooping up the powder a few times before you actually pour it into a case. Not that its tricky, but it requires a bit of finesse.
And lastly, (for now,) figure out a system for pouring the powder and separating the filled cases from the empties. I use two loading blocks, one on the left of everything, one on the right.
Last, (see I told you,) find yourself a big chunk of heavy wood, like an eight or ten inch wide, six inch deep cutoff from an oak tree, to size your cases on. Trust me on that one. You don't want to do it right on the dining room table!
Regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Tactical
Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit
Wild Ed, thanks for the input Ed. I will take what ever advise you guys can throw at me.
Adam, that is what I thought plus I always wanted to try it.
Albert, case lube! I just wrote it on my list. Good tip on the wood and I am sure my wife would agree with you on that.
That definitely looks like a great hobby to get into. I think everyone is having trouble finding ammunition right now, including myself.
Good luck with the new hobby.
Like Albert said case lube. It's fun when you get a stuck case and really don't know how to get it out. I made a stuck case remover because I've had one stuck and didn't have a clue. What I have found that works well for case lube is a bottle of STP from Wally World and an old mouse pad. I put the pad in an old lube case and smeared STP on it. Works just as well as the expensive case lube. After sizing wipe the cases off with a rag with lacquer thinner.
Allen, I think we are going to have to get together on some of these tips.
Arthur, I hope it benefits me in more than one way. And yes it is getting difficult to find what I need.
Cal45,
Great suggestion, I had forgotten that trick. I keep STP around for covering my lathes and milling machine metal surfaces when I don't use them, which is the majority of the time.
Thanks again!
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Tactical
Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit
I started with a classic loader and Unique in .30-40 Krag all those many years ago. Then I added .45LC. Then I got a press...Then 12 gauge...and the road goes on until I die, methinks. Got to start somewhere.
Eventually you end up with multiple presses that easily swap between what you shoot the most and some dedicated to stuff you shoot a lot.
The other fun thing to do with Unique, as it takes well to being undercharged for cartridge size, is to play practical jokes on dad and friends when you have a magnum rifle at the range. Make sure to mark the primers of the funny cartridges with nail polish or sime such so you don't mix 'em up. Then fire four or 5 undercharged .375H&H pistol rounds and say "you can handle that, right?" to dad and then hand him one with an honest load of 4064 in it. All kinds of opportunities for practical jokes involving magnums and done in a safe way (if you can run fast enough) :-) May or may not be a beneficial tip, depending on how fast you can run and how good of friends and kin the recepient is....
One little trick I use is to completely bury the powder dipper by pressing straight down into a bowl of powder and then lift and scrape the powder off level with a popsicle stick. I have weighed charges to check this and they are really close when done with this method.
tom, you must have been a hell raiser growing up.
Wild Ed, good tip I will try to remember that one.
Rick,
Well, perhaps. :-)
Principal, after suspending me for another school prank, once told my dad "if he makes it to 30 without anybody killing him or ending up in jail, he'll probably be ok". Too smart for my own good at times.
Lucky nobody killed me. Cartridge switching isn't as mean as when we convinced my friend's little sister that the recoil of shooting a load of twelve gauge buck wouldn't knock her over if she braced the back of her gun shoulder on a big oak tree.
tom, you must have had one heck of a childhood. LOL
Let's just say being in band and friends with the AV people does not give you permission to patch in to the HS Public Address system and replace the Pledge of Allegiance one morning with Jimi Hendrix doing The Star Spangled Banner, even if you think it's a cooler way to be patriotic. Tossing dummy grenades in the principal's office OPEN (no glass broken in prank) window and shouting "GRENADE!" was also frowned upon as was putting dry ice in all the ladies toilets so they could have cool dry ice smoke like a KISS show. How was I to know they would think the building might be on fire and call the firemen? Had to mow a lot of lawns to pay for the firemen visit. Turns out they bill for that.
Glad that I was born into the former FREE America where many things that would send a child to juvenile hall or a shrink to pump him full of pharmaceuticals today were considered normal male child behavior.
Heck, my grandpa, born in 1910, got in an argument with his one room school teacher once and hoboed to a cousin's in Tennessee ridin the blinds on trains. When he came back he did. These days stuff like that would probably get you locked in some form of institution. Mom says I'm a lot like her dad and she figures at least I got a balanced mix of hooligan and intelligence and stayed out of serious trouble.
Sorry to drift off the reloading tangent but I figured you were amused and I like to amuse.
tom, it is always could to chuckle and laugh.
I was just looking on Lee's web site at this loader. You probably won't need case lube with this as it only resizes the case neck. If it was full length you would. Also you might not be able to shoot cases that weren't fired in your gun and fire formed first. But if you got cases that weren't fired in your gun and don't fit I can full length resize them for you then they would be good to go.
Hey Rick, somebody topped my memories of fun and flammables as a non-urban youth!
You'll laugh.
tom, that was one heck of a story. I haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile.
Allen, that is interesting I didn't know that. As soon as I shoot off a few rounds I will be able to try the loader thanks to you for donating a box of large rifle primers.
Post a Comment